He was the first musher to leave the checkpoint in Kaltag early Sunday morning.

Petit is a native of France now living in a ski resort town just south of Anchorage. Petit had about a 90-minute lead on the second and third place mushers, Norwegian Joar Ulsom and defending champion Mitch Seavey.

Other mushers who have left Kaltag for the 85-mile trip to the next checkpoint in Unalakleet include Richie Diehl, Peter Kaiser and Ray Redington Jr.

The winner of the nearly thousand-mile race is expected early this week in Nome.